FAQs for Industrial Facilities
Engineered Fiberglass Enclosures That Perform in the Toughest Industrial Environments
1. How does Shelter Works support retrofit projects without disrupting operations?
Shelter Works delivers pre-engineered, modular fiberglass shelters that are installed quickly with minimal on-site work. Our shelters arrive ready to install and can be placed around existing equipment or integrated with live systems, reducing downtime and avoiding interference with ongoing processes. Fast and clean installation makes our enclosures ideal for both pre-existing equipment and new builds.
2. Can your fiberglass buildings be used in corrosive industrial environments?
Yes. We manufacture our shelters with non-metallic, corrosion-resistant materials. They are ideal for chemical processing, wastewater treatment, and refining applications where exposure to acids, caustics, or volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is common. Custom gel coats and resin systems are available to match chemical compatibility needs.
3. Can your fiberglass buildings be used in hazardous industrial environments?
Yes. Shelter Works fiberglass enclosures can be wired to meet the National Electric Code (NEC) Class I, Class II, and Class III location requirements.
4. How do Shelter Works enclosures support industrial utility systems that must remain invisible?
Our enclosures protect essential infrastructure, like analyzers, instrumentation, MCCs, or fiber nodes, while maintaining a low visual profile. Shelter Works fiberglass buildings offer custom sizes and color-matching options to blend seamlessly into industrial surroundings or complement facility aesthetics.
5. How do your shelters minimize on-site labor for new installations?
Shelter Works offers fully assembled, skid-mounted, or drop-over options that arrive on-site with pre-wired electrical, lighting, and HVAC. This reduces the time, cost, and complexity of on-site construction while helping to mitigate labor costs and minimize any required downtime.
6. Are your fiberglass enclosures designed to allow for future equipment upgrades?
Yes. We partner with engineers during the design phase to provide built-in flexibility for process changes or future retrofits. This includes additional knockouts, bulkheads, oversized electrical panels, and HVAC capacity. Our engineered-to-order approach supports growth planning and long-term adaptability.
7. Do your shelters fit into tight industrial spaces?
Our shelters are custom-designed to meet space-constrained footprint requirements. Whether it's between pipe racks, inside secondary containment, or atop existing platforms, Shelter Works delivers compact, performance-built fiberglass buildings with custom dimensions and mounting options.
8. What technical documentation does Shelter Works provide to support industrial design and permitting?
We can engineer our shelters to meet IBC and site-specific structural requirements. They can include PE-stamped drawings and structural calculations to streamline the permitting process for industrial projects. When applicable, we can also provide COMcheck reports to support IECC energy code compliance for conditioned shelters, as well as detailed electrical plans, including panel schedules and layouts, designed in accordance with NEC standards.
9. Can your enclosures withstand extreme industrial environments like high heat or freezing temperatures?
Yes. We engineer our shelters for optimal performance in extreme operating environments, offering insulation options ranging from R-9 to R-20+, as well as HVAC integration, and manufactured with materials rated for exposure to high UV, humidity, corrosive vapors, and wide temperature swings. Our shelters are commonly used in energy generation, petrochemical, and manufacturing applications.
10. How do Shelter Works enclosures help prevent equipment failure and production delays?
By providing a controlled, secure, and climate-regulated environment, our fiberglass shelters protect critical equipment, including analyzers, controls, telemetry panels, and pumps. This significantly reduces failure rates due to corrosion, weather, or thermal cycling, helping you maintain up time, reduce maintenance costs, and avoid unplanned outages.
11. Can Shelter Works fiberglass shelters be delivered as fully integrated systems?
Yes. We offer turnkey enclosures that ship with installed electrical, HVAC, lighting, and custom equipment mounting, all pre-tested in our factory. Our shelters are often used by process systems integrators to house their package products. Skid-mounted systems allow for plug-and-play integration, minimizing field work and ensuring a fast, clean install.